2 Kings 8:9

9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said , Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying , Shall I recover of this disease?

2 Kings 8:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 8:9

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him
As was usual when a prophet or seer was consulted, see ( 1 Samuel 9:7 )

even of every good thing of Damascus;
which was a very fruitful place, and had abundance of gardens and orchards in it, which yielded excellent fruit, and of such it is probable the present consisted, and which was large:

even forty camels' burden:
which, as they are strong creatures, will bear a great deal. Abarbinel thinks, bread, flesh, and wine, and fowls, were in the present, but not gold, silver, and raiment, which the prophet had refused to take of Naaman; the Jews have a fable, that there was a precious stone in it, worth all the good things of Damascus:

and came and stood before him, and said, thy son Benhadad, king of
Syria, hath sent me to thee, saying, shall I recover of this disease?
he calls him his son, in veneration of the prophet as a father, as such men were called.

2 Kings 8:9 In-Context

7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick ; and it was told him, saying , The man of God is come hither.
8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go , meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying , Shall I recover of this disease?
9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said , Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying , Shall I recover of this disease?
10 And Elisha said unto him, Go , say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover : howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die .
11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly , until he was ashamed : and the man of God wept .
The King James Version is in the public domain.